"Oh… here we go again," Rin muttered, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slowly as she stepped closer to the cave. Her heart thumped unevenly in her chest. "I just hope this ends well…"
She tugged at her sleeves nervously. "I don't get why those girls refused to come with me… after all the begging too!" Her lips twitched as she muttered, almost to herself, "Ugh… Scary cats."
Rin rolled her eyes and, almost unconsciously, mimicked their voices in a high-pitched, teasing tone: "Oh, I'm sure the ice queen wouldn't mind you getting a new ring. Who would risk their life for a ring?"
She stopped, cheeks heating slightly, shaking her head. "What in the fairy tale princess is this?!"
The cave before her was unrecognizable. Everywhere she looked was pink—too pink, almost dizzying to the eyes. At the top, the worker ants were back, though far fewer than before. And there she was—the Golden Ant—still trapped inside the circle, but… different. She sat calmly on a small, delicate chair, a table in front of her, glasses perched on her nose, absorbed in a thick book.
The worker ants moved quietly, busy with tasks rather than capturing anyone. Some carried jars, others labeled them carefully: Golden Queen Honeydew. It looked… peaceful, almost cozy. Rin couldn't help but blink, her lips parting slightly in surprise.
"What the hell is this?" Rin muttered, stepping closer. The Golden Ant glanced up briefly, then returned her attention to the pages.
"What's happening?" Rin asked, stopping just outside the circle. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, and her shoulders tensed slightly.
"Hi, hello," the queen said without looking up, her voice calm, smooth. "There are so many ways to greet someone before asking questions, you know." She turned the page delicately, her movements slow and precise.
"Uh… fine. Hi. What's up?" Rin said, her voice small, unsure, but curiosity flickering in her bright eyes.
"Doing well, thank you. And you?" the queen replied, still immersed in the book.
"Well… fine," Rin said, glancing around, blinking at the unusual, pink surroundings. "But what happened here? Just two days ago, and now it smells like… a candy floss castle?"
The queen finally looked up, calm and composed. Her gaze held a quiet authority that made Rin pause, swallowing nervously. "It turns out I have loyal workers who returned and gave me a good idea. Care for tea?"
Rin blinked, taken aback. "Huh? Tea?" Her lips parted slightly in surprise, and she tilted her head, curiosity sparking.
"You are a guest here. What would you like?" the queen asked, serene, almost delicate, as though her words floated in the air.
"The tea looks good," Rin said slowly, eyes wide as she wondered, How are they going to make tea in a cave?
"Someone, get a chair for our guest. And make her some tea," the queen ordered casually.
A worker ant scurried forward, carrying a chair made of smooth red clay, perfectly polished, with a matching table. Rin's eyes widened. She reached out, running her hands lightly over the curves and edges, feeling the solid craftsmanship.
"Great craft, right?" the queen asked casually, still calm.
"Wow… solid, comfy, and… it even has a design!" Rin whispered, feeling a small smile tug at her lips.
"That is one of our artworks," the queen said. Soon, another worker brought a steaming cup of tea.
"Thank you," Rin said softly, hesitating slightly before taking a careful sip. The warmth spread through her chest, and her eyes widened, sparkling. "Wow… this tastes amazing."
"You… I thought you would still act like humans are slaves to food," Rin said, chuckling, shaking her head. "But this… this is different."
"Gary, over there," the queen said, glancing at the worker ant leading the others. "Instead of eating humans, why not make money from them? With the money, I can get anything I want, and we can become the greatest merchants ever."
Rin blinked, tilting her head. "Wait… honeydew? What now?" She sipped again, her lips twitching. "How does it taste?"
"You already tasted it," the queen said simply, her eyes calm, unwavering.
"Ooooh… it tastes like honey!" Rin said, a little laugh escaping her lips, surprised.
"Yes. Soon, it will put the bees out of business," the queen added, adjusting her glasses slightly. Her eyes glimmered with focus, almost fierce.
Rin's mouth fell open slightly, and she pressed a hand to her chest. "So… in just two days, you've become a… redefined Golden Queen? I mean… villains usually take years to change!" She paused, blinking, thinking about how the cold villainess she knew had transformed… unexpectedly sweet. "Okay… maybe bad guys can change overnight," she muttered, a small grin forming.
The queen remained focused on her book, calm, serene.
"What are you reading?" Rin asked, stepping a little closer, curiosity bright in her eyes. Her fingers twitched slightly, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little.
"A Yuri love story… between a demon and a Hellbinder," the Golden Ant said, adjusting her glasses and turning the page carefully, her voice smooth.
Rin's eyes went wide. She leaned forward a little, spotting the cover clearly: My Girlfriend Is a Demon. "Wow… you can read? That's… not surprising, but… impressive." She gave a small laugh, her heart fluttering a little at the unexpected moment of normalcy.
The queen looked up suddenly, her gaze sharp. "What are you doing here, little morsel?"
"Little morsel… do you still want to eat me?" Rin said, half joking, half nervous. The queen didn't even glance up, completely unbothered.
"I'm looking for a ring," Rin said, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling in slow, measured breaths.
"Well… we can craft you one," the queen said calmly, flipping the page slightly with delicate fingers.
"No… I'm looking for a specific one. Golden, with a small shiny stone. Have you seen it?" Rin's voice wavered just slightly with hope.
"Yes, I know where it is," the queen said, tilting her head, her gaze calm and steady.
Rin's heart leapt. Her fingers clenched slightly, and a small smile brightened her face. "Oh… thank goodness! I was already thinking of an excuse to tell Selene where it is. Can you give it to me?"
"No!" The queen said, a single word that made Rin's grin vanish instantly, and her chest tightened with surprise.
"What do you mean, 'no'? You're a good queen now. Give me the ring, and I'll leave!" Rin said, stepping closer, leaning slightly forward.
"But you just arrived. You cannot take the ring for free. You must work for it," the queen said, finally setting the book down and giving Rin her full attention. Her eyes were sharp, commanding, yet calm.
"What do you mean… work for it?" Rin asked, frowning, one hand resting lightly on her hip, the other fidgeting with her sleeve.
"Nothing in this world comes for free," the queen said, voice calm but firm, almost like a whisper of wind in the quiet cave. "You will become one of my workers, little morsel."